‘I’m driving,’ Ford says after learning he won’t be charged in cellphone incident

Toronto police say Mayor Rob Ford will not be charged after he acknowledged he was talking on his cellphone while driving last week.

But it appears Ford may have done it again on Wednesday afternoon.

Around 3 p.m., reporter Francis D’Souza tweeted “Police tell me they won’t charge @TOMayorFord with distracted driving because cost to pursue outweighs penalty. What do you think?”

Immediately afterwards, Maurie Sherman from CityNews’ sister station KiSS 92.5 ‘s Roz & Mocha Show called Ford for comment. (Click here to listen to the audio.)

“I can’t drive – I can’t talk to you now because I’m driving, I gotta let you go,” Ford told Sherman.

“I can’t talk, bud. I’m going to get a ticket. Sorry. I’ll call you back.”

The mayor’s office wasn’t immediately available for comment.

Earlier Wednesday, police spokesman Mark Pugash said no charges have been pursued against other motorists who admitted after the fact to driving while talking on a cellphone, and equal treatment will be given to the mayor.

Ford made the acknowledgement through his press secretary on Tuesday after a woman said that the mayor gave her and her daughter the finger for telling him to get off his cellphone while he was driving in Chinatown around 9 p.m. Friday.

Adrienne Batra told CityNews that Ford was on the cellphone and wasn’t using a hands-free set while driving but that he didn’t flip the bird.

TTC union chief Bob Kinnear said Wednesday the mayor should be penalized since Ford urged that TTC drivers be fired after several were caught texting or talking on their cellphones while on duty a few months ago.

“Let’s be consistent Mayor Ford,” he told CityNews. “If you believe that people should be fired for using their phones then we would like to know what the penalty for you should be.”

With files from Showwei Chu and The Canadian Press

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today